Man Utd aren't waiting around! Red Devils surprisingly sound out January transfer for £100m-rated midfield target

United spent around £230m ($310m) on players during the summer transfer window but it would have been a whole lot more if they had managed to convince Brighton to sell Baleba. Head coach Amorim is eager to find an athletic defensive midfielder to anchor his Red Devils midfield and while the Cameroon international has undeniable quality, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler noted earlier this season that the transfer speculation had distracted the youngster. 

"For sure, when a young boy reads there is interest from Manchester United with a big, big offer, it might affect him deep, deep (down)," he said in September. "That’s also part of the development to understand that when you play well, there comes a big offer, there comes a big club who wants to have him. But then to keep pushing, to be humble, stay here in Brighton, and try to make the next step with the team and that’s something we have to keep on working with him and therefore I can’t give you a clear answer if it’s really affected him or not. But for sure, he’s a young boy and we need to understand he’s not a machine that if you click on then he always runs and off then he stops. We need to understand his feelings, his emotions, where he comes from, and that’s our responsibility."

Baleba has made 19 appearances for Brighton this season and while 16 of those have been as a starter, he has played the full 90 minutes on just two occasions. The former Lille ace, however, insisted he is fully focused on the Seagulls, where he has a contract until 2029. 

Baleba said in December: "I don’t think it affected me negatively, but I had a lot of pressure on me. When I started this season, I wanted to show the same performances as last season. Every day I try to work hard and get back to my level. Did I put too much pressure on myself? Yes, I think so, but I think it’s good. It’s good for me, because now I have to get through this slightly stressful period, get back on the horse, and continue working hard."

United have reportedly "not stopped discussing" the possibility of signing Baleba, and now, Sky Sports state that the Red Devils have looked into signing him this month. Crucially, however, a deal is 'not expected to progress' any further in January, with Brighton keen to keep him until the summer at the very least. The report adds that United's 2026 priority is to sign at least one top central midfielder, and along with Baleba, Amorim's side are keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, and Wolves' Joao Gomes. Rising stars Ayyoub Bouaddi (18) and Christos Mouzakitis (19) of Lille and Olympiacos, respectively, are also said to be on their radar. 

As the January transfer window gets underway, United's immediate focus is on beating rivals Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday as they seek to bounce back from a dismal draw with lowly Wolves earlier this week. Aside from football games, the club are also monitoring Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, and RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande in the transfer market. It seems they have admitted defeat on Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo, who is set to join Manchester City.

Incidentally, Amorim said on the possibility of January deals: "The transfer window is not going to change. We have no conversation in this moment to have any change in the squad. There's the process. There's an idea that is going to continue. We are near the places of Champions League, but we are also near eight teams behind us. So let's focus on the next game."